This year, more women than men wear the Oura ring; yes, that thick finger nugget that is, or was, he Health tracking tool for all the technicians who listen to Huberman, fight with MMA and eat raw meat. 59 percent of all Oura ring wearers are now women, and particularly women in their twenties, who have purchased rings at a rate 2.6 times higher than other demographic groups.
I am a woman and have worn an Oura ring consistently for several years because it is the only tool that can reliably predict my period. Many fitness trackers now have a temperature detection feature that supposedly lets you track that drop in basal body temperature (BBT) that accurately predicts your period, which you previously could only measure with an under-tongue thermometer right when arrived. out of bed. However, in my testing, smart rings like the Oura are the only devices that have consistently detected it.
With its rapidly expanding new user demographic in mind, Oura has made a number of important hardware and software changes to the fourth generation of the ring that make it a more convenient and portable tool than ever. I also changed it from the bro-y “Stealth Black” finish to the new brushed silver finish. It looks and feels more jewel-like than ever, and I like it.
No more obstacles
The changes to the Oura Ring 4 recognized the big hurdle of using a smart ring, which is that we are tool-using mammals, we use our hands every day, and keeping a smart ring perfectly positioned for accurate data collection all the time is difficult. . . Previous generations of Oura rings had three clear plastic bumps for the photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors they were supposed to wear on the inside of the finger. You could feel the bumps and turn the ring to get it in the correct position.
The new ring has no bumps. The sensors, which include red and infrared LEDs for blood oxygen; Green and red LEDs for heart rate, heart rate variability and breathing during sleep; a digital temperature sensor; and an accelerometer, are recessed inside the body of the ring to make it slimmer and more wearable. It also comes in a much larger size range, with sizes 4 to 15, although again I used my ring size 8.
Photography: Adrienne So